Electrical connectors for mechanically and electrically interconnecting groups of individual electrical conductors, such as wires or a cable, are well known. The wires are terminated to contacts within the connectors. In many applications, strain may be applied to the wires, for example when disconnecting the connector, that can be detrimental to the connector. Strain can result in one or more wires being pulled from the contacts and/or disconnected from the connector.
It is well known in the art to use a strain relief for electrical connectors terminated to wires or a cable to minimize stress on the wires or cable. The strain relief prevents forces applied to the wires from being transmitted to the contacts where the wires are terminated to prevent the wires from being disconnected or damaged.
Typically, the strain relief apparatus includes separate members that are securable around the housing and wires. The separate members may be secured together by a variety of methods, such as, external hardware or interlocking features. Attaching the strain relief to the connector requires that the connector and wires be positioned in one of the strain relief members and then securing the separate members of the strain relief apparatus together.
Thus, an objective of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector having strain relief that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and install, but extremely effective in preventing forces applied to the wires from being transmitted to the contacts. A further objective of the present invention is to tighten the strain relief without axial movement of the strain relief relative to the connector, thereby providing a smooth interface between the strain relief and the connector. Additionally, it is a further objective to provide strain relief to cables of varying diameters using the same strain relief components while maintaining a smooth external transition between the components of the strain relief.